I am looking at Meritage homes building a home in Marshall Ridge TX. I have spent hours reading reviews which were bad and in some cases terrible. I do need honest reviews, suggestions or recommendations please.

Answers

This is the same with all builders in my opinion.
Even the very best builders can build less than stellar homes.
So it is probably a little more complicated than the basic question you asked.
So there's a couple of ways to go about it.
Buy one that is built and get an inspection as part of the process.

or

Build one and have an inspector do phase inspections and have you and your realtor be on site frequently to catch mistakes, take notes, oversee the process, and stay in touch with the builder. Chances are under any circumstance you'll get a better house than just signing a contract and showing up when it is done.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use a realtor when you buy a new home. It doens't normally cost you anything and often can save you time, money, and a lot of headaches in the process. Take us with you on the very first visit to the builder. I know it is a lot of fun to go shopping by yourself without a realtor in tow, but we really need as much as possible to be there while you are talking with the sales rep to represent your interests. Lots of things can and do go wrong during the building process as you can see from the online comments, so have someone in your corner.

Count yourself lucky if your Meritage house did not collapse in a few years, because some people are not as lucky. If you still want to purchase a house from them even after reading all those reviews, hire multiple independent home inspectors before you buy. Our inspector found items over 20 pages, and we still had plenty of issues after we moved in (broken water heater, faulty electrical, etc.). The difference is that they will actually fix those items BEFORE you pay them. After you move in, their attitude will change completely.

Yes, I agree with the statement that even the best builders can build bad houses occasionally. However, good builders will try to fix the problems during warranty period. I have purchased 4 new houses in my life time, and Meritage is the worst builder I had to deal with for warranty. The common response I get is normally denial, delay, misinformation, and more delay, followed by repeated attempts to perform poor repair works. Some repairs actually made things worse, believe it or not. Their warranty managers do everything possible to blame the home owners.
Problem with the poor level of service is definitely a problem with the company culture. It does not matter if you escalate it, you will get the same response. I heard it from my neighbors, and from others on the internet. The going theme is the same: bad service and poor quality.

Oh...and btw...Be wary of realtors who won't be honest about what they know about this builder. I personally believe it is unethical to represent the neighborhoods other than what they are....Watch out for the pretty sales talk while at the same time you are driving by foundation repair trucks on the street....

Charles...the foundation problems in that area are well established. If you consider them, don't just go with a routine inspection...they aren't qualified to give you an opinion on structural integrity of the foundation. Hire an independent structural engineer to give you an opinion....that way you can rest assured you are getting a qualified opinion...Bottom line, watch for bad dirt, bad/weak foundation pours, and misleading salesmanship. You have to be your own advocate....

How come you don't publish your name when you write blogs like this last one?
Are you afraid to let everyone know who you are when stating the kind of things you just wrote?

Your comments sound like they were really close to violating the Code of Ethics. I would like for TAR and NAR to take a look at what you just said about respectable Agents who represent buyers for a normal commission having any conflict of interest. You are trying to mislead the public by your self-serving remarks.

There has NEVER been any conflict of interest during the 33 years that I have represented buyers, and I am not sure where you think you are getting your information.

If you think your "flat fee" arrangement is so nifty, maybe you should ask the people who want to buy a lower priced house what they think about you charging them the same amount you charge the million dollar buyers.

You seem to be wanting to advertise your book on here more than anything else. This question was asked on here 5 months ago!!

Best place to start is to hire an Exclusive Buyer Agent. EBAs only work with homebuyers and there is never a conflict of interest that will jeopardize your negotiating position.

I am the owner/broker of one of Dallas' oldest and most successful Exclusive Buyer Agencies, HelpUBuy America. We charge a flat-fee for our services, so our fee is the same regardless of whether you buy a $150,000 home or a $500,000 home. This eliminates the conflict of interest that exists when you an agent is paid a commission based on the sales price of the home.

We've been protecting the rights of first-time homebuyers since 1995, and we'd love to assist you. I've also had a book published on Amazon called Buying a Home: Don't Let Them Make a Monkey Out of You. It'll be the best $7 you've ever spent.

Both areas are plagued by foundation problems. The builder is involved in numerous lawsuits...the properites are not properly prepared, foundations are bad, and homes have been severely damaged. DO NOT BUY...

Both areas are plagued by foundation problems. The builder is involved in numerous lawsuits...the properites are not properly prepared, foundations are bad, and homes have been severely damaged. DO NOT BUY...

Meritage is the absolutely worst place to build with!!! They are not only deceiving but they are also, liars, crooked.....I could go on and on! I know because I've lived here for over two years now and have been through hell because of them. Not only have I had problems with them but many of my neighbors have had their share too! BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU'VE READ it's posted for a reason!!!!

Great Question
I worked for Meritage Homes here in DFW before becoming a realtor and one of my clients just built and closed on a home in Marshall Ridge in December. To say that I know a lot about Meritage Homes is an understatement. Meritage Homes is a production builder and that means that they build set plans with set features and do things in a set way. Meritage Homes niche in the market is currently energy efficency. Their program is very well thought out, however it does provide certain limitations in features that may be important to you as a buyer.
I often have found that much of the negative feedback that a builder receives is because expectations were not clearly communicated to the home buyer before the process was begun. This means that you need to understand very clearly what the builder will and will not do and you need a very clear understanding of the entire process and what to expect every step of the way. My clients were extremely happy with their new Meritage Home in Marshall Ridge, the key was that they knew exactly what to expect.
The role of a realtor in your case is vitally important far a few key reasons. First the realtor will represent your interests throughout the transaction, the salespeople while very nice and professional actually represent the builders interests. Second, a realtor with extensive construction experience with an emphasis in production building can help you understand the process, be a sounding board for many of your questions and help you manage the schedule and the many parts of the transaction which will take 4.5 to 6 months. The third area where the realtor can provide assistance is in negotiations. All builders offer discounts it is important that you take full advantage of these! A final thought to consider is that you do not pay for the realtors services and it does not effect your sales price, the builder has a marketing fund just for realtors.
I hope this helps you get good start. The experience when managed well and when expectations are set correctly from the beginning can be great. Sadly, when things are not explained clearly many people have the exact opposite experience. Best of look to you in your home search. Please feel free to contact me directly.

Be careful how you take advice from somebody who tells you that DFW (Dallas) is "131 Miles above sea level." The official elevation of Dallas is 430 feet, and that's about 131 Meters. The actual elevation ranges from 350 feet to 800 feet, depending on where you are.

As you know, the elevations around Albuquerque range from about 4,500 feet to 6,500 feet, so you are used to that high mountain dry air. We have a little more humidity here in the Fort Worth area.

Please contact an Agent who has lived here newr DFW for a long time, and knows the area. I also have a license in New Mexico, so I am familiar with the real estate rules in your area.

Honest reviews and recommendations. Got it. Honestly, Texas is a market unto it's own. Every builder has strengths and weaknesses. As Realtors, we are aware of these components. Texas has extremely hard rock in which many developments are built on. The key to success for any builder that I can relate personal experiences with is how they handle issues after the home is built.

Realtors are not authorized to sway you toward or away from a neighborhood or particular builder but we can answer your questions based on experience once a fiduciary relationship is established. This relationship is created by the home buyer and Realtor together acknowledging the terms of a "Buyer's Representation Agreement". At this point not only are we "authorized" we are "required" to share our experience with you and answer your questions based on facts and not opinions.

I lived in ABQ as well. Your weather conditions are much more extreme than Texas - ABQ is high elevation where as DFW is 131 miles above sea level.

Where "excellence" is a concern, I must advise you, every Builder will have negative comments. Every development has a named company that builds the homes as well as specific person responsible for project management. I have had MUCH success in several neighborhoods and at the end of the day, what makes the difference in my opinion, is the level of "hands on" the Project Manager involves himself and/or if the Builder is knocking out homes in a cookie cutter manner.

New home builds are my area of expertise.."pre-owned" homes are adequately priced in the North Fort Worth. Alliance Corridor area. However, a new build home means (obviously) it has never been lived in, you can choose the colors, upgrades, and personalize your home with a Builder's warranty. Builders also pay at bare minimum, the owner's title policy.

I am your new home builder specialist. Feel free to reach out to me.

I appreciate a client that performs due diligence prior to making decisions. An informed buyer is much more comfortable for me to work with as you are aware of the pros and cons of this industry,

So, you are planning to move from Albuquerque to Keller... Can I trade houses with you? I have wanted to go to ABQ for a long time, but have not retired from Real Estate yet. I have been selling homes here in Keller for 33 years, so I know the area well.

First of all, you need an agent to advise and assist you. There is no fee for this serivce as the builders pay our commission from their advertising budget. Realtors sell the majority of new homes, but some buyers walk in on their own and don't know how to negotiate with the builder's salesperson. The sales people for a builder are not licensed in Texas like they are in New Mexico, so be careful. Remember: they work for the builder -- not for you! They will try to get the best price for the builder, and still make you happy. I am also licensed in New Mexico, so I know the differences in the rules of these two states, and I will be able to discuss your transactions on both ends with you.

Secondly, you should consider buying a house that is a few years old, as you will get a much better price than you will for a new one. We have some really good deals on the market right now! When are you moving here? Contact me directly for more detailed information. I can help you find the right house for your family here in Keller.

I just sold a Meritage home - not in Marshall Ridge - but in the Keller/N Fort Worth area. My clients were very pleased. There were a few things at the end that needed to be corrected and Meritage did a great job making it all right and to my clients' satisfaction. And the wife, who would be totally fine with me saying this is VERY picky! She's very happy with her purchase. I think you're always going to find unhappy people with any builder. Be sure you have an agent who stays on top of what's happening so you can make sure it is a pleasant experience.

If you have questions or need assistance, don't hesitate to let me know.

It is against professional code of ethics for any Realtor make a comment. Check the BBB. Keep in mind that "how real are the comments" or were posted from competitors using "false names" . If you have doubt work with another builder or purchase a home from a seller